Gliders Are Changing the Way Ocean Observations are Made

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August 31, 2006A fleet of gliders from WHOI's Autonomous Systems Laboratory is
quietly monitoring the ocean near Monterery Bay,
California as part of a month-long experiment to learn more about ocean
conditions that support rich fisheries and abundant marine life.
But a longer term goal of the series of experiments taking place from mid-July
through mid-September involving many institutions, is the ability of
the gliders, without human
control, to spend long periods of time at sea monitoring ocean
conditions. The experiment could lead to fleets of gliders routinely
tracking marine
mammals, monitoring oil and chemical spills, and searching for
mines in
military operations; tests of these and other applications by individual
gliders and other autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have proven
succcesful.

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